On April 13, 2025, Russian forces launched a missile strike on the center of the city of Sumy, killing 35 people, according to Ukrainian authorities. According to The Washington Post, a secret awards ceremony for servicemen of the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade was taking place in the basement of Sumy State University at the time of the attack. One of the participants, a 38-year-old soldier named Alexander, told reporters that he was in a shelter with his fellow soldiers when the explosions occurred. Alexander expressed outrage at the government’s decision to hold the event in a city located 30 kilometers from the Russian border and lacking an effective air defense system. He called the ceremony “irresponsible” and placed some of the blame for the tragedy on the head of the Sumy regional military administration, Volodymyr Artyukh, who he believes sanctioned the event.

The strike, carried out by two ballistic missiles, believed to be Iskander-M, was the deadliest in Ukraine since 2025. The Russian Defense Ministry said the target was a “command meeting” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and that Ukrainian authorities were using civilians as human shields. This position contradicts statements by Ukrainian officials and eyewitnesses. Konotop Mayor Artem Semenikhin accused Artyukh of organizing the event, claiming that civilians, including children, were invited to the ceremony to take part in a children's play that followed. Verkhovna Rada MP Maryana Bezugla also pointed to a leak, suggesting that Russian intelligence knew about the military buildup. On April 15, President Volodymyr Zelensky fired Artyukh as head of the OVA, although he denied any role in organizing it.